


Watchdog

by Aushina



Series: The Zodiac Spell [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Spoilers for Anansi, Spoilers for Frozer, quick mention of Luka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 14:44:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16369586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aushina/pseuds/Aushina
Summary: When a new exhibit comes to the Louvre, Marinette, Alya, Nino, and Adrien, go to see it. Their visit to the museum is interrupted by a villain.





	1. Kagami's Irritation

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Rox once again for proofreading this for me!

The clash of foils comes to an end when Mr. D'Argencourt calls for the class to stop. Finished for the day, the students, like a group of androids, lower their swords and make their way to the locker room. One wearing bright red gear instead of the uniform white approaches another at his locker.

"Hey, Adrien," the red fencer says, taking off her mask.

The other student jumps and shoves something into his bag; an irritated cry comes from it in response. "Hi, Kagami." Adrien removes his mask as well. "You were pretty good out there today."

"I always am," she preens. "But you weren't too bad either. You almost beat me a few times."

Adrien smiles at his friend's playful teasing. "Maybe someday I'll actually win a match."

"Only if you're friend referees again." Though the tone stays the same, something in Kagami's face changes.

"You're not still upset about that, are you?" Adrien questions. He looks down at Kagami worriedly.

Kagami scoffs blithely. "Of course not. I'm not that petty."

When Kagami doesn't go on, Adrien remarks, "Oh. That's good, I guess." That still doesn't explain her hardened expression at the mention of Marinette. Adrien turns away from Kagami as he gathers his stuff from his locker, his kwami still grumbling angrily just below hearing range. He moves to step around Kagami when a look of surprise crosses her face.

"I totally forgot. When my mom was out with some friends she heard about a party being thrown by Clara Nightingale. Mom wasn't invited, but your dad was, right?" Adrien nods. "Well, I'd like to go, if you're not bringing someone else." Obviously their disastrous 'date' didn't put her off Adrien.

"I'm bringing Marinette," Adrien answers, oblivious to Kagami's intention.

Kagami's eyes narrow. "You're still going after her?" The question sounds more like a statement.

Adrien's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

"You're crushing on Marinette, aren't you? She's the girl you were trying to get over, the one you decided to keep trying for after seeing another boy fawning all over her."

"What? No." Adrien shakes his head sharply. "Marinette's just a-just a friend." His voice strains almost painfully. He clears his throat before continuing. "I was talking about another girl."

"Another girl?" Kagami almost looks amused at this point. "So you're balancing three of us?"

Adrien mouth hangs open as he tries to comprehend what she just said. He takes a step back, screwing his eyes shut and rubbing his forehead to halt a developing headache. "No, no. I don't feel anything for Marinette. She's a good friend, the first one I made on my own after coming to school. I grew up with Chloé and Nino was super nice. I messed up with Marinette and she forgave me. I asked you out because I was trying to move on from..." Adrien pauses and opens his eyes, "from another girl and you're a good friend and you seemed interested even after hearing me talk about her. I figured if anyone was going to help me move on, it'd be you."

Kagami nods. "And what about this 'other girl'?" She actually does air quotes.

Adrien straightens and tries to appear normal. "What about her?"

"What's she look like? What's her name? What does she like?" she interrogates.

Adrien's jaw works as he considers what he can and can't say. "She... she has dark hair. So dark it's almost blue. She has beautiful blue eyes. She likes video games and Jagged Stone."

"Okay. Her name?" Kagami's eyes hold Adrien in place, stopping him from running away. He takes a deep breath and squares himself. "I'd rather not tell you. I haven't even talked to Nino about her yet."

Kagami appears stunned, but quickly recovers. "Alright. I'll leave it for now." She turns toward the doorway, taking a few steps before stopping. By now, the entire locker room is empty save for them. "Just so you know, this girl sounds a lot like Marinette." Her words stun Adrien enough that he can't think of a response until after she's gone.


	2. Famous Foil

The Louvre bustles with people as the final touches to the newest temporary exhibit are made. A few policemen patrol the area--the extra protection requested by the owner of the main attraction: the foil of Laura Clessel. The rest of the exhibit covers the history of fencing and famous fencers, and it opens tomorrow.

Two people approach the foil, both stopping to gaze at it before talking.

"I'd like you to guard it," the ginger man says.

"Me?" the other wonders. "Why's that?"

Roger Raincomprix smiles. "You're the most observant cop we have Casey. If anyone can keep this thing safe, you can."

Casey straightens himself up. "Thank you, sir."

Officer Raincomprix pats the younger man on the shoulder and moves away.

 

  
Marinette labors over her designs for the dresses. Morning light angles through her windows, bright enough to illuminate the room all on its own. The light had inspired the color of Alya's dress: different shades of orange blurring together to create the illusion of texture. Maybe the design is also slightly influenced by Rena Rouge, but Alya doesn't need to know that.

Her buzzing phone barely distracts her from her work. Marinette reaches over to open up her messages. She takes her eyes off the page to read the text, her pencil freezing as she does.

_Where are you? Nino and I are already at the museum. Adrien will be here any minute!_

Marinette glances from the message, to the clock on her phone, and back down. A sudden burst of energy sees her up and across the room, rifling through the clothes.

A small red ball flies to the center of the room. "What's going on Marinette?"

The girl stops in front of Tikki just long enough to yell, "I'm going to be late," before darting off to collect her purse. Tikki zips into it as her Chosen rushes down the stairs and out the side door.

"Will you make it in time?" the kwami calls up from her pouch.

Marinette checks her phone. "Maybe..." She looks at Tikki, a grin spreading across her face. "But Ladybug ca-" Marinette skids to a stop and dances around the person she was about to run into. After apologizing and making sure she's out of earshot she picks up where she left off. "But Ladybug can."

A few minutes later, the young heroine lands in an alleyway close to the Louvre. She takes a moment to make sure the coast is clear before transforming back. Once Tikki is safe in her purse with a cookie as thanks, Marinette takes off toward the glass pyramid.

"Hey guys," she yells when she spots her friends.

Alya watches her friend with amusement as the black-haired girl slows to a stop in front of her and Nino and doubles over as she catches her breath. "I'm impressed."

Marinette looks up. "Huh?"

"I thought you wouldn't leave until I texted you. But with the time it takes to get here from your house, you must of left before that," Alya explains. "Either that, or you run really fast. If that's the case, maybe you should enter a race."

Nino nudges his girlfriend, grinning like an idiot. "Nah. If Marinette could run that fast she'd never be late to class."

Alya guffaws. "I said she was fast, not magic."

All three of the friends laugh, Marinette a little less so at the last crack. She may not be magic, but she certainly has access to some.

They're just getting their breath back when a familiar silver limo pulls up. Adrien slips elegantly out of the vehicle. He leans his head back in to say something to his bodyguard before shutting the door behind him. The car drives off as Adrien makes his way to his friends.

Nino takes a step towards Adrien and fist bumps him. "Hey man. I still can't believe your dad let you come."

Adrien's smile is strained as he nods a greeting to Alya. It'd been unfortunate that his father had been cracking down on his free time lately--both for Alya's attempts to get him and Marinette together, and for Adrien himself. "He let up when he learned about the fencing exhibit."

"That's good," Marinette manages. Adrien finally turns his attention to her. His smile turns dazzling. "I mean," she panics, "I'm glad your dad finally let you out. Oh no, that sounded bad. Er, ah, I'm glad you could come." Marinette squeezes her eyes closed and mentally berates herself. What she had said before she panicked was fine. Why'd she'd have to go and ruin--

"I'm glad, too." Her eyes still shut, Marinette misses the softer look that had developed in Adrien's eyes. She relaxes, straightening her back and raising her head as her eyes open. By now his expression has returned to normal. "Let's go in."

Giggling, Marinette nods in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fencer the foil belongs to is based on Laura Flessel-Colovic. I don't know much about her beyond a quick Googling, so I apologize if I got anything wrong.


	3. Theft

The inside of the museum is busier than usual when the four reach the new exhibit. Alya reaches for Nino's hand--to make sure they'd don't get separated, she reasons.

"Could you keep a hold of Marinette, Adrien?" she continues. "She's so tiny; I don't want her to get lost in the crowd." Alya's lip twitches as she struggles to keep a straight face.

Marinette chokes on her protest, her mouth flapping as she tries to force the words out. Her fight is stopped when Adrien takes her hand. His bright smile banishes her argument from her mind and melts her tension. Unseen by the girl, Alya smirks at her plan's success.

Now in pairs, the friends make their way to the main gallery of the exhibit to check out the foil. Appearance-wise it's not anything special; the ones Adrien practices with don't look much different. This doesn't stop the young model from gazing at the sword like it was made of gold. Marinette watches him with obvious affection. Nearby, Alya's taken out her phone to take pictures of the foil until a dark-haired policeman points out a sign saying, "No pictures." The reporter smiles sheepishly as she puts up her phone. Nino next to her laughs.

While her friends are occupied with studying the foil, Marinette turns her attention from the shining boy next to her to the plaque in front of the display.

_Foil used by Laura Clessel in the 1996 Summer Olympics where she won her first gold medal and at the 1998 World Cup making her the first woman and eighth French fencer to win the Olympic and World Champion titles._

Once Adrien has finished looking over the sword, they go around the room before moving on to the next one. Taking their place is Kagami. Unlike Adrien, she gives the sword a challenging look, almost like she's sizing up an opponent. Another policeman makes his way into the room on his patrol path.

Kagami is just getting ready to leave when suddenly the power goes out. A few screams of surprise sound in the darkness--mixed with shouts from Casey to remain calm--but for the most part the room is quiet. Then it's shattered by the sound of glass breaking. Kagami stumbles back as shards of the display case hits her, tearing small nicks in her clothes and skin. The guard shouts again, this time telling whoever tipped the glass to freeze. The sound of fumbling reaches Kagami's ears and then the zip of metal through the air, followed by a _smack!_. Rhythmic thuds fade away as a person runs from the main hall.

Kagami's senses come to her as the last of the noise echoes off the walls. She gropes around from her phone, the lights flickering on making her move meaningless. The return of the light reveals what had happened in the dark. The display case of the foil is scattered in pieces all over the floor, the sword missing. The cop is kneeling on the ground, clutching his head as a small amount of blood seeps from his forehead.

Glass crunches under her shoes as Kagami steps forward to ask the guard if he's okay. His eyes snap open at the noise, his furious gaze locking on hers.

"Where'd you hide the foil?" his snaps, struggling to his feet, swaying slightly.

Kagami steps back, startled. "What? You think I took it?"

"You were the only one close enough to the display to take it in the amount of time the lights were out," Casey accuses. "The cuts on your arms are proof enough."

"And where would I have hidden it?" Kagami refutes, gesturing to herself. She has a small bag, but nothing big enough to hide a foil in.

"It has to be somewhere in the room close enough for you to stash it and then come back here before the lights came back on." Casey glances around the room for his colleague only to find him already gone. Making an irritated noise, he radios for backup.

 

  
When the lights go out Adrien and Marinette take the lead. Adrien calls out to the crowd to stay calm, telling them that the power will probably come back on soon. Marinette takes Alya's hand and pulls her friends toward an empty wall they had been near to avoid them being knocked into by any panicking museum patrons. The four keep close together until the lights turn back on.

With the light on, Marinette realizes just how close she'd been huddling to Adrien the last few minutes. She leaps away, her move mostly covered by Alya and Nino moving as well.

Oblivious to his friend's reaction, Adrien glances around the room. "Why do you think that happen?" Alya, Nino, and Marinette shake their heads and shrug. Any further questions are cut off when they notice multiple police officers surge toward the main hall. Sharing a look, the four tail the cops into the room.

They swing into the room to see the policeman from earlier confronting Kagami in front of an empty display. The police officers they'd been following stop near them, Officer Raincomprix stepping forward to address them.

"What happened here?"

Casey pivots to face him. "Clessel's foil was stolen during the power outage, by this girl." He turns to point at Kagami.

"What!" Adrien marches forward. "Why do you think Kagami stole it?"

Casey sneers at the arrival of Adrien. "Because she was the only one who could. And I know who she is, and who you are."

"What do you mean by that?" Adrien snaps.

"She's the daughter of a champion fencer. I bet she wanted the foil for herself and figured she'd get away with it because of her mother's pull," Casey reasons. "I wouldn't be surprised if you're the one who turned off the power, Mr. _Agreste_."

The accusation burns Marinette. "Adrien was with us a room over. There are witnesses, probably security camera footage. He couldn't have been the one to make the power go off."

"And Kagami wouldn't steal the foil," Adrien finishes. "What proof do you have besides how close she was to it before it was stolen?"

Casey pulls back slightly, his anger diminished slightly now that the question of facts has been brought up. Unable to answer the question, Casey turns to the other cops and orders them to search the room. "If it isn't here, then your friend will be free of suspicion. Does that work for you?"

Adrien and Kagami are still steaming, but they nod and move away.

"I can't believe that guy," Alya huffs. "He shouldn't be allowed to be a policeman if he accuses based on bias."

Nino nods but says, "At least he backed off. He was rude, but not unreasonable."

Alya grumbles though she doesn't argue.

Adrien looks over Kagami, taking note of her injuries. "What happened?"

"The glass cut me up when it shattered," she explains.

"You're lucky none go in your eyes," Marinette comments. "Do they hurt?"

Kagami studies Marinette coldly. "I've had worse."

Marinette blinks in surprise at the fencer's attitude but chalks it up to shock from the accusation.

The kids watch the police search until they group back in the middle of the hall to report that, surprise, they found nothing. Officer Raincomprix calls Casey forward to chew him out.

"You cannot accuse a person, especially a kid, without evidence. Circumstantial evidence as loose as yours is unacceptable." Casey doesn't even try to argue. By now his temper has cooled and he's realized he jumped the gun. He just nods his head along with Raincomprix's words. "You're suspended until further notice." Officer Raincomprix's expression softens slightly. "Now go get your head looked at."

Casey freezes, but eventually nods and leaves the room with his head hanging low.


	4. Church Grim

From his lair in the Agreste mansion, Hawkmoth senses another target. The window blinds slide open to brighten up the room. Beckoning to a butterfly, the villain holds out a hand for it to land on.

"You didn't mean any harm," he croons. "You just wanted to find the thief. It's not your fault you were wrong. You were hurt. Who else could it be?" Hawkmoth infuses the butterfly with dark energy. It turns a dusky purple color. "You want to prove yourself? How about a little help."

 

  
Casey stumbles his way out of the Louvre, his head throbbing from the hit he had received from the thief. He reviews the situation again and again, from the lights going out to the glass breaking to the blow to the head. Things were fuzzy after that. Maybe he shouldn't have tried to accuse anyone until his head had cleared. No, he definitely shouldn't have. Angry and confused, he had been in no condition to make assumptions. He deserved a suspension.

Casey slumps onto a bench in the entryway as a mix of self-beratement and dizziness making walking difficult. Once the world has stopped tilting Casey takes off his badge to look at it. It had always been Casey's dream to be a policeman. His teachers at the academy and his commanding officers were always impressed with him. And now he's screwed it up because he was angry.

Unnoticed by Casey, a dark butterfly lands on his badge.

Suddenly there's another presence in his head. "Watchdog, you were harshly punished for an honest mistake. I'm willing to help you show your peers that you're worthy of your position. You just have to get me Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculouses."

"Yes, Hawkmoth."

Blackish-purple energy covers Cuán Casey, morphing him into a large black dog. People around him start screaming at the sight of the church grim in the lobby. They stream out the front door or rush for a hiding place. Watchdog's green eyes flash eerily as they cast about the room. Growling, Watchdog streaks back toward the fencing exhibit.

 

  
"The lights went out," Kagami explains to Officer Raincomprex. "Then the glass shattered. I was standing close enough that the shards cut into me. There was some fumbling around until the thief found what they were looking for. Officer Casey called for the thief to stop, then I guess he reached out to stop them because there was the sound of an impact and then the thief ran out of the room."

Raincomprex nods. "You're all free to go but I might need to contact you later. Can you write down your contact information."

The group is interrupted by a dog the size of an ox slides into the room, drool dripping from its snarling mouth. It looks almost like a black lab, but the fur covering it is thick and wavy like cocker spaniel's. A gleaming police badge hangs from its neck like a dog tag. The large dog zeros in on Kagami, his hackles rising as his ears go back.

"Get out of here!" Adrien yells. No one in the room has to be told twice. Everyone scatters, Adrien and Marinette splitting off from their friends in the chaos. Marinette hides in a bathroom and Adrien takes cover in a supply closet.

Plagg zips out of Adrien's shirt before his Chosen can call for him. "I don't know if going out there is such a good idea."

This causes Adrien to pause. "Are you... are you afraid of dogs?"

Plagg scoffs. "No. Of course not. ... Maybe."

"Don't worry, Plagg," Adrien assures his kwami. "It's just another villain sent by Hawkmoth. We've faced them before."

"Yeeeah," Plagg agrees, unconvinced.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Adrien transforms in a flash of green and lunges from the closet. By the time he reaches the main hall Ladybug is already there, holding off the grim. Spotting her partner, Ladybug pulls back. They don't get much of a chance to talk as Watchdog charges after the scarlet heroine. Yelping, Cat retreats with Ladybug through the museum until they reach the outside. They land onto of the Louvre, watching the entrance for the villain.

"Well," Cat Noir pants. "That was ruff. But you look quite fetching today, my lady."

Ladybug shakes her head, a small smirk fighting its way onto her face. Her expression turns thoughtful as seconds pass by without the emergence of Watchdog.

"Maybe he can't fit through the door?" Cat suggests.

"I doubt that would stop him," Ladybug argues. She swings back down toward the front doors. Cat hesitates on top of the roof for an extra moment before leaping down after her.

"Will you be alright?" she asks as he lands.

"Me? I'll be fine," he answers.

"You seem pretty shaken. Don't tell me the brave Cat Noir is scared of a dog," Ladybug teases.

"He's a very large dog," Cat reasons.

Ladybug smiles softly, resting a hand on her partner's arm. "I'll keep his attention on me. You just try to get that badge off of his neck."

Still looking slightly frightened, he nods in agreement.

"Alright, let's go." Ladybug leads the way into the museum.

They find Watchdog back in the main hall of the fencing exhibit, sniffing around the foil display. He perks his ears up when they enter the room, but continues his search with nothing beyond a ferocious glare in their direction. Ladybug steps forward while Cat sticks to the wall. Watchdog's ears stay trained on them. When Ladybug is halfway between the entrance to the room and Watchdog, the grim stops what he's doing and growls. Another few steps toward him and Watchdog's head snaps up, his eyes locking the girl in place. Ladybug readies her yo-yo for a quick escape.

While his attention is on Ladybug, Cat Noir darts around the room and leaps toward the villain. He lands on the dog's back, gripping his oddly silky fur with on hand and reaching for the cord keeping the badge on with his other. Watchdog whips his head around but can't reach the dark hero. Cat swallows hard, hanging on with both hands as the grim twists and bucks under him. His teeth snap ominously close to Cat Noir's ears.

"Cat Noir!" Ladybug cries. She tosses her weapon into the air to summon a Lucky Charm. A red and black horn of a record player lands in her hands. "What? I can't leave now!" The heroine tucks the horn onto her string belt and swings her yo-yo. "Hold on!"

Cat complies. Ladybug's yo-yo sails through the air, tangling up the canine's legs in its string. Watchdog thuds onto his side, sending the hero rolling off of his back. Cat Noir gets shakily to his feet and tries to grab the badge again. Watchdog hooks his jaw under the string, pulling hard against it. Though it doesn't break, it yanks Ladybug off her feet and gives the grim enough slack to climb to his feet. He rears his head back, preparing to bit the brightly clad heroine. Cat Noir knocks her aside. Taking her hand, Cat helps Ladybug to her feet and pulls her behind him back out to the safety of the roof. He releases her hand, his entire body trembling.

Ladybug carefully removes the horn from her belt. Cat Noir's eyes follow the path of the Lucky Charm, confused by Ladybug's hesitation.

"You have to go," she tells him. "You're going to have to be the one to get another Miraculous from Master Fu."

Cat Noir's protests are frozen. "What?"

"You can't fight Watchdog on your own." Ladybug smiles up at her friend. "Besides, it's about time you get to do it too." Her earring beeps. Stashing the Lucky Charm once again, she returns to strictly business. "Your kwami will tell you how to get there if you don't know already."

Cat reaches to stop Ladybug before she can run off to recharge. "But what am I supposed to do? You're always the one to choose them."

Ladybug thinks it over. "We'll need someone who can shield us from the villain's attacks. Ask Master Fu for Wayzz. Give him-give him Nino." Revealing her friend's identity bothers her, but taking down the villain comes first.

"N-nino?" Cat releases her arm.

"Yeah. He's probably with Alya, the girl who runs the Ladyblog. Do you know what she looks like?"

The cat-themed hero nods hollowly. "I'll find him."

Ladybug doesn't have much of an opportunity to worry about her partner as he leaps away just then. Her earring beeps again to remind her of her limited time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Church grims are creature from England that are born from dogs being buried to protect a graveyard. For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_grim  
> Watchdog's design was actually based on Ruth from The Ancient Magus Bride who more closely resembles a flat coated retriever, but I figured Marinette probably wouldn't be able to name that specific breed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat-Coated_Retriever


	5. A Visit to Master Fu

Adrien runs along the sidewalk, Plagg giving him directions from his hiding place.

"So you knew where this guy lived the entire time? Why'd he come to my house then?" Adrien wonders.

"Because Ladybug visits him," Plagg answers. He slaps his hand over his mouth. He wasn't supposed to tell him that. Guiltily, he continues. "Master Fu didn't want to the two of you running into each other."

"Why everyone trust Ladybug but not me," Adrien pouts.

Plagg glances around to make sure the area is clear before floating in front of Adrien's face. "I know it feels that way, but it was just circumstantial that Ladybug met Fu before you did. And no, I cannot tell you what happened."

Adrien huffs but is placated by his kwami's words. "Thanks, Plagg."

"Not a problem. Now turn here." Plagg zips back into Adrien's shirt and directs him down a few more roads before finally commanding him to stop in front of an innocuous building. "Now go on in."

A little hesitant, Adrien steps up to the door and knocks. It's answered by a little Chinese man in a Hawaiian shirt. His eyes widen. "What are you doing here?"

Adrien opens his mouth to answer but is dragged in by Fu. The old man shuts and locks the door behind him. Adrien attempts to speak again only to be hushed by Fu. The Guardian leads the confused boy back to his room, only then allowing him to speak.

"Ladybug sent me," he finally says. "She told me to get Wayzz."

At the mentioning of his name, Wayzz floats out from where he'd been hiding. "That would be me. So does that mean young Nino is going to be called to action again?"

"Wait, Nino's done this before?" Adrien exclaims.

Master Fu nods. "When you and Ladybug faced Anansi, Nino was chosen by Ladybug to be the temporary wielder of the Turtle Miraculous. I believe he went by Carapace."

"That... actually makes a lot of sense," Adrien says after a moment. "But I can't believe I didn't know."

Fu shakes his head sadly. There is much about his fellow heroes he doesn't know. "This fight must be especially difficult if she couldn't come herself."

Adrien rubs the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, it's really more of a personal problem. The villain is a dog."

"Oh," is all Master Fu says.

Plagg darts into view. "It's a perfectly rational fear!"

"No one was judging you," Fu assures him. He removes the bracelet from around his wrist. "Wayzz, I give you up until you're brought back to me." The little green kwami is sucked into his Miraculous.

"What, I'm taking your Miraculous?"

Fu boxes the bracelet. "Only for a short time. You are responsible for bringing it back once the battle's done."

Adrien nods, taking the box. "I will."

"Good luck, Cat Noir," Master Fu calls softly as the young boy rushes out of the room.

 

At the Louvre, Ladybug watches the grim. His earlier behaviour had made her curious. He had noticed her coming into the room once again, but besides a light growling he hasn't done anything to acknowledge her. After a few minutes of sniffing around, Watchdog detangles the scent he was looking for: his normal scent mixed with steel. When the thief had hit him some blood of Casey's had landed on the hilt of the foil. It was a guess, but it had paid off.

Like a hunting dog, the grim throws back his head and howls. The sudden noise startles Ladybug, causing her to jump. Nose back to the ground, he bounds off after the scent trail. The heroine follows Watchdog through the exhibits to a room closed off from the public. The villain squeezes through the doorway, breaking the door off its hinges as he passes through. He circles the room as he follows the thief having entered, gone to different points in the room, and then left once more. Watchdog races down the hall. The front entrance causes him to falter slightly, but Watchdog picks up the pace once more, the doors busting under his weight and momentum.

The grim lands painfully in the courtyard. He limps forward a few steps, working the pain of the impact out of his limbs. Watchdog picks up to lope as he follows the trail--Ladybug close behind him.


	6. Watchdog's Victory

Cat's anxiety rises as he approaches the silent museum. He hadn't expected much noise with the villain's propensity to stay inside. However, the broken front doors takes him by surprise. Cat Noir casts around for any sign of Ladybug or the villain. Seeing neither, he quashes his worry and pulls up the Ladyblog. Nino would probably be where Alya is, and Alya is probably filming the battle.

The most recent update to the website is a live video.

It takes a moment for Cat Noir to make out where she is as there isn't anything distinctive around, but finally Alya runs around a corner, revealing a large hound skidding to a stop partway down the street. A loud howl strains through the speakers on his baton. Cat shuts off the video but the howl still can be heard, though quieter now. He follows the sound.

At the source Ladybug is fighting Watchdog. The grim no longer seems interested in fighting, just reaching his target. Cat spots Alya and Nino standing at the corner, ready to run should something come flying their way.

Now is the hard part: how is Cat Noir supposed to get Nino away from Alya without raising suspicion?

The hero drop lightly behind the pair, considering just grabbing a hold of Nino and running before Alya could notice. This rather poor plan never stood a chance, however, as they had heard him land.

"Cat Noir, where have you been?" Alya questions.

"Running an errand for Ladybug," he says.

Alya stops the recording. "Does that errand have something to do with us?" The move goes unnoticed by the feline hero as he grows hot at the part-time reporter's question. "Which one of us do you need?"

Nino and Cat Noir both look at the girl in surprise.

"Um, I need to borrow your friend here for a moment," the hero finally answers.

Alya smiles knowingly. "Alright. Good luck out there you two." The girl gives her boyfriend a quick peck on the check before turning back to film the fight. "Sorry that we were cut off for a minute there, Ladyblog viewers..."

Cat Noir leads Nino further back down the side road until Alya's voice fades away. Ducking into an alleyway, the hero brings out the jewelry box. "Nino Lahiffe, this is the Turtle Miraculous. You will use it to help Ladybug and I defeat the villain and then you'll return it."

"Cool! I didn't think I would get it again this soon." Nino takes the box and opens it, Wayzz flying out. "Hey little buddy. Nice to see you again."

"Likewise, young Nino. Do you remember what you have to say?"

"Yup. Wayzz, shell on!" In the young boy's place stands the newest hero: Carapace. "Awesome!"

Cat Noir smiles warmly at his friend's excitement. "Let's get going."

"Totally," Carapace agrees.

The cat and the turtle leap over the building, racing over the rooftops to the where Ladybug is still fighting Watchdog.

"Sorry it took so long, my lady!" Cat Noir calls as he drops in. "Hope things didn't get too ruff for you."

Carapace launches over the two heroes, taking the blows from Watchdog to keep the heat off of them and distracting him from his target.

"You already used that one," Ladybug quips, dodging a lunge from Watchdog. Carapace taunts the hound, pulling his attention toward him once more.

"I guess I should start barking up a different tree."

Ladybug groans. Ignoring her feline partner's proud grin, she calls another Lucky Charm. "A tuning fork?" Ladybug's mind races as she tries to come up with a plan. When a smile splits her face it's obvious she has.

"What do you need me to do, my lady?"

"I need you to find a small hammer and something to amplify the sound, like a megaphone. Try that store over there." The spotted heroine points across the road to a damaged storefront where Watchdog had been attaching earlier.

"I'll go dig them up," Cat replies. "Collie if you need me."

"Cat!" she yells in exasperation.

The dark hero laughs in triumph as he rushes past the church grim. Carapace takes a blow from his paw, aimed at the cat. He calls a thanks before disappearing into the store. Ladybug swings back into the fight.

Watchdog howls again. His target is so close, and this annoyances are getting in his way! He snaps at Carapace again, he teeth locking onto the turtle's shield.

"Not good," the boy manages before Watchdog lifts him off his feet, shaking him violently. He flings the hero down the street and turns to the ladybug flying irritably around him. Carapace twists in the air to soften his blow with his shield before swinging around to land on his feet.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug calls from a safe place on a roof.

"A little sore, but other than that I'm fine!" the green hero cheers.

Ladybug chuckles. "Good," she says to herself.

Her attention is brought back to the villain when he lunges up at her. He can't leap high enough to reach her, but he manages to hook his claws onto the edge of the roof. He shoulders strain as his back legs tear into the walls, pushing himself up. Screaming from inside the building, galvanizing Ladybug to remove herself from it. Watchdog pushes himself off in a bid to catch her mid-air. She turns, throwing her yo-yo to wrap it around Watchdog's muzzle. Pulling on the string, Ladybug lands between the grim's eyes. Ladybug launches herself off when he lands.

Watchdog takes the opportunity to lunge toward the store once again. Ladybug races forward to stop him but the canine breaks through the already damaged door before either she or Carapace can reach him.

The shrill screams of the people in the store push Ladybug on.

"Protect the civilians," Ladybug commands Carapace.

He nods sharply. "You got it, dude." He breaks away from her as they enter the store. "Everyone get behind me!"

All but one does as he says. This one is already pinned by Watchdog. He has his hands held protectively in front of him as the hound snarls, drool dripping from startling white teeth. Cat Noir darts out from his place among the shelves, tossing his haul to Ladybug before hitting Watchdog with his baton.

Ladybug catches the objects, fumbling slightly but dropping neither. He had managed to find a rubber mallet and a plastic funnel.

"Good job, Kitty!"

Taking the mallet, Ladybug strikes the tuning fork as hard as she can, the ringing uncomfortable even to her ears. She holds the funnel in front of the fork. Watchdog pulls back from the man he had pinned, his ears cocked. He starts pawing at his ears and whining in pain. Nearby, Cat is clutching his own ears.

"Are you okay?" she worries.

"I'll be fine. Just keep him incapawcitated!" Ladybug hits the tuning fork again, repositioning the funnel once she's done. "Cataclysm!" Cat Noir charges to dog, wrapping his glowing hand around the badge. Watchdog whines once more before the akuma leaves his badge and he turns back into Cuán Casey, still holding his head. Ladybug catches it, purifying the akuma and setting the white butterfly free.

"Bye-bye, little butterfly," she croons.

Ladybug resets everything with her Miraculous Ladybug power. The store gets straighten up in a blaze of red and black before the ladybugs stream out the door to fix the rest of the damage. The heroine approaches the akuma victim as Cat Noir helps him to his feet. The injury to his head is still there. It happened before he was akumatized, but she had hoped her powers would heal it for him.

"How are you feeling?" she asks Casey softly.

The cop smiles kindly, if slightly sad. "Not great. My head is killing me, but it's nothing a trip to the doctor won't fix."

"I can call a taxi for you." She really doesn't like the idea of him wandering around alone.

"That'd be appreciated."

Ladybug steps away to make the call, ignoring the beeping of her earrings, while Cat Noir helps the other man to his feet. The person is also wearing a police uniform. The hero sizes him up. There had to be a reason the grim was after him. "Do you know why the villain targeted you?"

"What? No. Why do you think he was targeting me?"

Ladybug ends her call and steps up to him. She could swear she'd seen him before. "Because he followed your scent all the way here."

"And there were multiple people he could have targeted in this store before you, and he singled you out," Cat Noir finishes.

"I don't know why Casey was after me! How can we know what he was thinking? He was a dog," the man protests.

"Than you don't mind us searching your stuff?" Cat nods to the large bag the man had with him.

The man steps in front of his bag. "I don't have to show you. You have no authority over me."

Casey behind them sighs. "Just show them Colin. My head is pounding and if what they're insinuating is correct, you're the reason."

The other man, Colin, sputters angrily but finally relents. Inside the back is the missing foil, spots of Casey's blood drying on the hilt. Casey takes out his cuffs, grinning broadly, and clamps them around his colleague's wrists. "You wanna tell them how you got the power to go out?"

"Henry helped me," Colin growls. "All the senior officers love you. We just wanted them to see you're not perfect."

"Well," Casey comments, "you certainly succeeded at that. But now you two are going to jail."

Ladybug and Cat Noir move away from the two cops to join Carapace by the civilians.

"Well, that guy was certainly a terrier," Cat comments.

"He was doggedly persistent," Ladybug teases back.

The dark hero's mouth hangs open. Laughing, a wide smile shines across his face. Ladybug shakes her head, amused.

When the heroes reach the crowd of civilians, Cat Noir asks, "Is everyone okay?" A round of nods answers him. "Great. If that's the case, I need to talk to your protector." He swings an arm over Carapace's shoulder and leads him away from the crowd. The move is oddly familiar to the turtle hero, but he can't place it.

"I guess it's time for me to give you back the Miraculous," he says.

"Actually," Ladybug refutes, "we need you to keep watch over that man over there," she points to Colin, "until the cops can be here to pick him up. Our Miraculouses are about to time out."

"I'll pick up your Miraculous later," Cat Noir assures him. "Would you mind telling me where you live?"

Carapace tells him and Cat lets him go. Surveying their work, Ladybug and Cat Noir share a fist bump and leave the store.


	7. A New Friend?

Marinette races to the Louvre for the second time today, Tikki chowing down on a cookie in her purse. She arrives, breathless, at the entryway to the museum, pausing to catch her breath. Once she's no longer panting, she enters the building. She searches the fencing exhibit for Adrien and Kagami, still expecting Alya and Nino to be away from the museum. She finds Kagami wandering around the museum, admiring how quickly the building had been fixed.

"Kagami," Marinette calls out. "How are you? Are you alright."

"I-I'm fine." The girl's exuberance startles her. Doesn't she realize that they're rivals? "How about you?"

"I'm okay as well, but I wasn't the one being targeted by the villain."

"That's true," Kagami smirks. "But he didn't stay on me for long." She looks around. "Where's Adrien?"

Marinette shakes her head. "I don't know. I was hoping you would."

The fencer's eyes widen in surprise. "You weren't with him? I thought you'd be hiding together."

"We got separated in the chaos. Same with Nino and Alya."

"Where are they?"

"Alya runs the Ladyblog," Marinette explains. "She probably ran off to get some footage and Nino would most likely be with her."

"Aren't you worried about them?"

"No," she answers proudly. "Those two know how to take care of themselves. I'm more concerned about Adrien."

Kagami studies the smaller girl in front of her. "Then let's look for him together."

The two black-haired girls search the museum for the model in silence. Kagami switches between calling for Adrien and studying her companion. From her limited interactions with her, it's obvious that Marinette likes Adrien, but if that's the case that what's Adrien's problem? Is he really that oblivious? Or is there actually another girl?

Kagami shakes her head. Adrien realized that she wanted him to ask her out. There's no way he's missed Marinette's feelings for him. So there must actually be another girl.

"I'm sorry I was so harsh with you at the ice rink," she says suddenly.

Marinette starts. "What? What brought that on?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking about it."

"Oh, well thanks," Marinette replies bashfully. "But you're not wrong. Even when I try to ask Adrien out I trip and stumble. I just can't talk to him normally. It's like my words go through a blender between my brain and my mouth."

Kagami laughs. "It can't be that bad."

"It can be," Marinette groans.

Kagami's laughter grows until she's clutching her sides. She breathes deeply in an attempt to stifle it. "Ha-have you ever been able to-able to talk to him nor-normally?"

Marinette clasps her hands together as she thinks the question over. "I once spent the whole day with him when I'd asked him to be a translator between me and my great-uncle. I didn't know Uncle Cheng could speak French, but Adrien has been learning Chinese so I thought that was the only way I could communicate with him. I guess I was so distracted by my uncle and the competition he was in to really focus on Adrien."

"Hmm? What type of competition was your uncle in?"

"A cooking competition. My Uncle Cheng is a famous chief," Marinette brags.

"I'm impressed," Kagami admits.

Their conversation is interrupted by the appearance of Adrien, also looking for them. Marinette waves her hands to get his attention.

"Hey you guys. Are both of you okay?"

Marinette nods. "We're both fine."

Adrien rubs the back of his neck. "I feel really bad that today got interrupted by a villain. It's been awhile since I've got to hang out with you guys."

"Don't worry about it," she assures him. "No one could have expected another villain to show up."

"I can take you home to make up for it," he offers.

"No, no. It's fine."

Kagami interjects, "If Marinette wants to walk, she can. However I wouldn't mind a ride."

Marinette gapes at Kagami.

Adrien seems surprised as well, but for different reasons. "Don't you have a vehicle?"

"Yeah, but since you're offering."

"I guess it's okay," Adrien assents, still a little confused.

Kagami takes Adrien's arm and starts to lead him toward the door. She calls over her shoulder, "We should talk some more. Don't be afraid to come to fencing practice whenever."

Marinette blinks, doubly stunned now. They're almost at the entrance when she can finally reply. "I'll see you later, than."


End file.
